Movin' On Up To Heaven: Sherman Hemsley Dies at 74

Sherman Hemsley, the curmudgeonly star of 1970s' fave The Jeffersons, has died at age 74. He played George Jefferson in the long-running sitcom, which ran for 11 seasons, 1975-1985. The show, of course, was a spin-off from Norman Lear's All in the Family, which focused on George and his wife Weezie (Louise), played by Isabel Sanford. His performance was Emmy and Golden Globe nominated.

After The Jeffersons, Hemsley starred in the sitcom Amen as fiery Philadelphia church deacon Ernest Frye. The show latest five years, running 1986 to 1991.

He was found dead in his home in El Paso, Texas. Helmsley was a life-long bachelor, although he never came out of the closet publicly. *